A Pastor in The Northwest

In Jesus' famous sermon on the mount, He makes a connection between the practice of prayer and the discipline of fasting. Here's Matthew's recording of this in chapter 6:9-16 (ESV): Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  And when you fast..." Prayer AND fasting complement each other well. Jesus' statements seem to affirm and assume people of faith would practice both of these disciplines.  For me, if I am facing a major decision or difficulty, these 2 practices really help enhance my ability to focus, reflect, and really listen to t...

I'm always excited to learn new ways to increase our prayer, and this idea was one I read today from one of my favorite devotional sites commonprayer.net : Prayer Bowl Some families and communities find it helpful to have a prayer bowl on the coffee table or in the room where they gather to pray each day. Whenever someone asks for prayer, they write the request on a little slip of paper and put it in the bowl. Then when it’s time for morning or evening prayer, each person can take a few slips of paper from the bowl and read out the requests during the time for prayers for others. This is also a good way to remember -people we don’t see every day, like children in war zones, victims of human trafficking, or our political leaders. Families with kids or grandkids might really get traction with something like this, right? May we be a people devoted to prayer! 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spir...

I was talking with someone recently about the power of God's Word in Scripture and how the Bible, the collection of Hebrew and Christian writings, inspired by God, ALONE gives life.  Even though there are other sacred texts, only the Bible has the powerful, albeit mysterious dimension that no other text contains.  I can personally attest to this. I've read texts like the Quran, the Bhagavat Gita, and even the Book of Mormon, but none captured my heart and soul like the Bible. In the Bible, God's Word, in Messiah Jesus, becomes the very food and drink for humanity. In Messiah Jesus, the Word in flesh, becomes life itself. Mysterious, yes, but true nonetheless!  This is why the writer of Hebrews wrote:   For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12 ESV Photo by Wesual Click on Unspla...

Some random thoughts on things that have age... Jesus made already aged wine - is this a clue to Creation's age?  Earth & solar system made with all the necessary items for a sustainable universe. The first humans mentioned in Genesis were adults. Might God have created an 'already aged earth'? Let there be light implies light was a reality maybe in place already - stars so far, far away already set in place. What if eternity was built into creation from the start? Continuing the pondering... Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

How the outside smells after a good rain. Playing my guitar with brand new strings. When my wife Jackie reaches for my hand to hold. The first sip of a great Oregon Pinot Noir. When I hear my grandson Elias laugh. The tug of my heart when I see someone care for someone else. Walking through falling cherry blossoms. Letting the river move me while I'm on a paddleboard. Insight from a passage of the Bible I'd never noticed before. The sound of Pacific Ocean waves hitting the sand. Photo by Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash

Lately I have been paying attention to the trend of younger people using AI as a companion. The numbers are staggeringly high - over 70%! Teenagers are turning to machines for friendship instead of their peers. Whoa. A whole generation choosing the artificial over the real. As one TED talk I watched pointed out, we would be wise to protect human connection - even when it is messy. Resistance literacy - the act of showing up and being human in a world telling us not to be - is crucial. I think this is where a healthy church family can be an antidote for our modern, AI addicted world. We can walk together in this life alive and vibrant and messy and disappointing, but as a family, loving one another. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. -Romans 12:10 NIV Link to that TED talk by Bryony Cole Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash